At least 17 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli tank and drone strikes

At least 17 people were killed on Wednesday in Gaza by Israeli tank and drone strikes, according to hospital staff and Associated Press journalists who counted the bodies.

The two locations of the strikes were Khan Younis in the south and Deir al-Balah in the center of Gaza.

In the Golan Heights, which Israel has annexed, Hezbollah of Lebanon launched over 50 rockets on Wednesday, striking several private residences. Hezbollah claimed that the attack was a reaction to an Israeli strike that took place Tuesday night deep into Lebanon.

It was one day after U.S. S. In an effort to secure a cease-fire in the Gaza conflict, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with representatives of Egypt and Qatar, two other mediators, while acknowledging that obstacles still need to be overcome. With the recent targeted killings of leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which were blamed on Israel, and the threats of retaliation, diplomatic efforts have doubled as worries of a wider regional war grow.

Key mediator Egypt, meanwhile, voiced doubt on Wednesday as additional information about the plan to close gaps between Israel and Hamas surfaced.

A number of reasons, including the long-standing skepticism about whether a deal would actually remove Israeli forces from Gaza and end the war, are among the reasons given by Egyptian officials to The Associated Press for why the militant group Hamas will not accept the bridging proposal. Egypt plays a unique role as both a mediator and an affected party because it borders Gaza.

According to the White House, President Joe Biden discussed the urgency of achieving a cease-fire and hostage release agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.

It is estimated that approximately 110 hostages taken by Hamas in October are still being held captive. The war was sparked by seven attacks. According to Israeli officials, about one-third are dead. During the Oct. In the attack, 1,200 people, primarily civilians, were slain by militants.

Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its tally, claims that over 40,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s retaliatory offensive. The majority of Gaza’s 2 million inhabitants have been forced to flee their homes, frequently more than once, as a result of the war’s widespread destruction and forced relocation.

The most recent is as follows:.

In Gaza, Israeli bombings claim at least 17 lives.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Hospital staff and Associated Press journalists who counted the bodies said that at least 17 people were killed by Israeli tank and drone strikes in Gaza on Wednesday.

Nine bodies—including a woman and child—were taken to Nasser Hospital from Khan Younis in the south. Meanwhile, eight bodies were brought to the Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians residing in certain areas of the central city to leave, coinciding with the strikes in Deir al-Balah.

U. Not N. claims that Palestinians are being forced into dangerous areas by Israel’s evacuation orders.

United Nations – The U.S. N. Palestinians are being forced into crowded and dangerous areas along the Gaza coast by the Israeli military’s mass evacuation orders this month, the humanitarian office is warning.

U. Not N. Reporters were informed by spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the most recent directives, which were issued on Wednesday, affected 115 locations with over 150,000 displaced men, women, and children, including U.S. Not N. and numerous improvised, unofficial shelters.

In addition, he said that the orders have blocked access to three water wells that provide water to tens of thousands of people, as well as UN and humanitarian organization offices, warehouses, and homes.

According to Dujarric, “there are severe shortages of sanitation and hygiene materials in Deir al Balah, and the water supply has decreased by 70 percent.”.

The US. Not N. According to a spokesman, Israel has ordered roughly 250,000 people to evacuate so far in August. In August, he claimed, the U.S. N. . calculated that since Hamas’ attacks in southern Israel on October, about 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents had been displaced at least once. 7 that started the current dispute.

Along with cutting off portions of the main Salah al-Din road, the Israeli orders also affected Dujarric’s communication channel, which is crucial for delivering humanitarian relief.

The departing head of Israeli military intelligence claims that October’s mistakes have haunted him. 7.

JERUSALEM — The outgoing head of Israeli military intelligence says the failures of Oct. 7 is going to follow him around for eternity.

Major. The Gen. On Wednesday, Aharon Haliva admitted that he was to blame for the intelligence lapses that let Hamas carry out the cross-border assault that day and set off Israel’s current conflict with the terrorist organization.

In the bloodiest attack in Israeli history, militants led by Hamas killed about 1,200 people and abducted 250 more. For failing to anticipate the attack and responding slowly that day, the army has drawn harsh criticism in Israel.

In April of last year, Haliva announced his departure.

During a handover ceremony with his successor, Haliva stated that the painful memories of Oct. 7 bear a heavy burden on his conscience “for the rest of my days, day and night.”. “.

He continued, crying briefly as he talked about his family, “We did not fulfill our most important mission, giving a warning of war.”. “I bear the final blame for the intelligence division’s collapse. “.

Jordan receives a urgent message from Blinken requesting a cease-fire.

Washington — The U. S. Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s deputy prime minister, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke about “the urgent need to finalize the cease-fire deal” between Israel and Hamas, according to the State Department.

Wednesday’s call occurred on the same day that Blinken returned from a round of Middle East stops where he met with representatives of Israel and other negotiators from Egypt and Qatar to discuss pressuring the parties to agree to a proposal intended to close gaps in cease-fire negotiations.

According to the State Department, Blinken observed that the bridging proposal “addressed the remaining gaps in a manner that allows for swift implementation of the deal.”.

A deal’s potential to actually remove Israeli forces from Gaza and end the conflict is one of the many reasons why Egyptian officials are skeptical of the proposal and say Hamas won’t accept it.

Before formally submitting the plan to Hamas, mediators are expected to convene in Cairo on Thursday and Friday to continue discussions on it.

According to the group, banks in Gaza have closed.

RAMALLAH, West Bank — According to the principal Palestinian banking association, all of Gaza’s banks have closed. It is the most recent instance of the war-torn enclave’s living conditions getting worse.

The Association of Banks in Palestine’s general manager, Bashar Yasin, announced the closure on Wednesday. In the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, the association represents banks.

Before Wednesday, a number of banks in Gaza, including a sizable Bank of Palestine branch in the city of Deir al-Balah, were only partially operational.

The closure of the branch, which was among the final locations where Palestinians could obtain cash, was not immediately apparent.

With most of the population now displaced, extensive damage caused, and the great majority of Palestinian workers unemployed, the 10-month war has severely damaged Gaza’s already precarious economy.

These issues have gotten worse due to a cash crisis, as the cost of food and other necessities has gone up, leaving displaced people with little to no access to their meager savings.

There had been hours-long lines outside the few operational branches and cash points for months, with maximum withdrawal amounts.

— Jeffrey Jack.

Five protesters who were ultra-Orthodox in Jerusalem, according to Israel police, were arrested.

JERUSALEM — Israel police claim to have taken five ultra-Orthodox demonstrators into custody during a protest against conscription that took place in Jerusalem.

On Wednesday, hundreds of observant Jews staged a protest in front of the Israeli military enlistment office in Jerusalem, closing streets and keeping those who had been summoned by the army from showing up to be enlisted.

Following the unanimous decision of Israel’s Supreme Court to mandate that the government start enlisting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men in the army, about 3,000 ultra-Orthodox have received summonses in recent weeks.

The historic June ruling aims to abolish the mechanism that has spared them from being drafted into the armed forces.

Traditionally, most Jewish men and women are required to serve in the military for two to three years, and ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from this requirement. They are also excused from reserve duty until they are approximately forty years old.

Approximately 13.3% of Israel’s population are ultra-Orthodox Jews, numbering about 1.3 million, who oppose enlistment on the grounds that their primary obligation is to study full-time in religious seminaries.

For a considerable amount of time, the military’s use of reserve soldiers—which has resulted in the call-up of tens of thousands—has infuriated the secular public, a division that has grown during the war, which has lasted ten months. Since Hamas’ October 15th announcement, more than 600 soldiers have died. 7 assaults.

Blinken speaks with Turkey’s foreign minister on the phone about the negotiations for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire.

Istanbul – U. S. A spokesman for the ministry said on Wednesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan over the phone about the status of the cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas.

The U.S. requested that the discussion be held. s. said Oncu Keceli in a post on social media. Turkey, which has called Israel’s operation in Gaza “genocide,” is a strong ally of Hamas. “.

In a statement released by the U.S., Blinken and Fidan said they talked about “diplomatic efforts to prevent regional escalation and their shared commitment to creating conditions for a durable ceasefire, bringing the hostages home, and ensuring vital humanitarian aid reaches those in need in Gaza.”. S. Department of State.

Israel orders the residential area in central Gaza near the main hospital to be evacuated.

Israel has issued an order for the evacuation of a neighborhood in central Gaza that is close to the main hospital.

On Wednesday, the military gave orders for residents to evacuate a section of Deir al-Balah that is only a few hundred yards (meters) from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, one of the last operational hospitals in the region. The military declared that it would take action against the local militants shortly.

The hospital itself was not under an evacuation order, but in previous evacuations, residents have fled from areas close to the designated zones out of concern that the fighting may spread.

Responding to Hamas’ October attack, Israel began an offensive in Gaza. 7 attack, which has frequently resulted in the displacement of the vast majority of the territory’s 23 million inhabitants.

Israeli forces have been completely blocking off the narrow coastal strip, which is only 25 miles (40 kilometers) long and roughly 7 miles (11 kilometers) wide, since May.

The United Nations estimates that the Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of about 84% of Gaza’s land.

Hospitals in Gaza have struggled to keep up with the wave of casualties from Israeli strikes, as the war has largely destroyed the region’s healthcare infrastructure. Thousands of people have set up tents in parking lots and courtyards, converting them into shelters.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Israeli forces have raided hospitals multiple times, claiming that Hamas and other militant organizations were using them for military purposes. Despite this, Gaza health officials have refuted these accusations.

Palestinian officials claim that their brother, a high-ranking official in the military wing of the Palestinian faction, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.

BEIRUT: According to Palestinian officials in Lebanon and state media, an Israeli airstrike on the coastal city of Sidon in Lebanon on Wednesday killed the brother of a senior official in the military wing of the Palestinian faction Fatah.

Fatah Gen’s brother, Khalil al-Maqdah. The state-run National News Agency said that Mounir al-Maqdah perished in an attack on a car.

Mounir al-Maqdah has come under fire from Israeli officials for allegedly helping to smuggle weapons into the West Bank.

His brother had served as a brigadier general in Fatah’s armed wing, Mounir al-Maqdah said on Wednesday to the Beirut-based pan-Arab TV network Al Mayadeen, promising that the organization “will respond inside of Israel.”. “.

Samer al-Haj, a Hamas official, was killed earlier this month when an Israeli drone struck an SUV on a major Sidon thoroughfare.

Over the past ten months, the Lebanese branches of Hamas and the ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad have periodically launched attacks from Lebanon into northern Israel. In addition, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah engages in near-daily skirmishes with Israeli forces in the context of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Hamas’s adversary Fatah has not yet declared that it will be taking part in any of those missions.

Over fifty rockets have been launched by Hezbollah.

JERUSALEM: In the Golan Heights, which Israel has annexed, Hezbollah of Lebanon has fired more than 50 rockets, striking several private residences.

A 30-year-old man who had shrapnel injuries from Wednesday’s attack and was moderately injured was treated by first responders in Golan Heights, according to reports. An investigation by firefighters revealed that they had stopped a gas leak before one house caught fire.

Hezbollah claimed that the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli strike that left one person dead and 19 injured on Tuesday night deep into Lebanon. Following Israel’s targeting of a Hezbollah weapons depot approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the border, Hezbollah fired more than 200 projectiles toward Israel on Tuesday, marking a notable uptick in the daily skirmishes.

For over a decade, Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in almost daily strikes while Israel is fighting Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah, in Gaza. Twenty-three soldiers and twenty-six civilians have died in Israel as a result of the exchanges, while over 500 people have died in Lebanon, primarily militants but also about 100 civilians and non-combatants.

After winning the Middle East war in 1967, Israel annexed the Golan Heights, claiming it needed the strategic plateau for national security. The Golan is regarded by the rest of the international community as occupied Syrian territory, with the exception of the United States, which is the only nation to recognize Israel’s annexation.

According to the British, a commercial ship in the Red Sea is “not under command” following repeated attacks.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The British military said that a commercial ship passing through the Red Sea was attacked repeatedly on Wednesday, with the attack leaving the ship “not under command.” The attack is thought to have been carried out by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Though the attack occurred during the Houthis’ months-long campaign targeting ships over the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, few details are currently known about it.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center of the British military reported that the attack began with men on small boats opening fire with small arms. It said that three projectiles were also fired at the ship.

The UKMTO reported that “the vessel reports being not under command,” which most likely means that it lost all power. “No casualties were reported.”. “.

It can take the Houthis hours or even days to admit to an attack, so they did not immediately claim responsibility for it.

The Israeli army is reportedly focusing more on the Lebanon border.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says that the country’s armed forces are refocusing their efforts from Gaza to the Lebanon border.

During a Tuesday tour of northern Israel, Gallant stated that Israel has shifted its attention to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and reduced its efforts in Gaza, where it has been engaged in a war with Hamas for almost a year.

Gallant informed the troops, “We are gradually changing, our strongholds are moving from the south to the north, and we still have a number of missions in the south.”.

After Hamas’ October 31 election, Hezbollah started attacking Israel almost immediately. 7 assaults. There are now concerns of a wider regional conflict as a result of the sides’ nearly constant fighting since then. These worries have increased because Hezbollah has threatened to avenge an Israeli strike that killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut last month.

More than 120 missiles fired by Hezbollah on Tuesday were directed toward northern Israel, resulting in several fires and residence damage. Israel declared that it was hitting the launcher.

In Lebanon, more than 500 individuals have perished, at least 100 of them were citizens. There have been 26 civilian deaths and 23 military deaths in Israel.